diff --git a/bigtable/admin.go b/bigtable/admin.go
index da251c18b431..8dd9f929056f 100644
--- a/bigtable/admin.go
+++ b/bigtable/admin.go
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ func (ac *AdminClient) TableInfo(ctx context.Context, table string) (*TableInfo,
 			Name:         name,
 			GCPolicy:     GCRuleToString(fam.GcRule),
 			FullGCPolicy: gcRuleToPolicy(fam.GcRule),
-			ValueType:    protoToType(fam.ValueType),
+			ValueType:    ProtoToType(fam.ValueType),
 		})
 	}
 	// we expect DeletionProtection to be in the response because Table_SCHEMA_VIEW is being used in this function
diff --git a/bigtable/type.go b/bigtable/type.go
index dbe97131934e..efd02156e9b6 100644
--- a/bigtable/type.go
+++ b/bigtable/type.go
@@ -198,7 +198,8 @@ func (agg AggregateType) proto() *btapb.Type {
 	return &btapb.Type{Kind: &btapb.Type_AggregateType{AggregateType: protoAgg}}
 }
 
-func protoToType(pb *btapb.Type) Type {
+// ProtoToType converts a protobuf *btapb.Type to an instance of the Type interface, for use of the admin API.
+func ProtoToType(pb *btapb.Type) Type {
 	if pb == nil {
 		return unknown[btapb.Type]{wrapped: nil}
 	}
@@ -254,7 +255,7 @@ func aggregateProtoToType(agg *btapb.Type_Aggregate) Type {
 		return AggregateType{Input: nil, Aggregator: unknownAggregator{wrapped: agg}}
 	}
 
-	it := protoToType(agg.InputType)
+	it := ProtoToType(agg.InputType)
 	var aggregator Aggregator
 	switch agg.Aggregator.(type) {
 	case *btapb.Type_Aggregate_Sum_:
diff --git a/bigtable/type_test.go b/bigtable/type_test.go
index 2ba9eb197dd4..13dff5174b3f 100644
--- a/bigtable/type_test.go
+++ b/bigtable/type_test.go
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ func TestSumAggregateProto(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestProtoBijection(t *testing.T) {
 	want := aggregateProto()
-	got := protoToType(want).proto()
+	got := ProtoToType(want).proto()
 	if !proto.Equal(got, want) {
 		t.Errorf("got type %v, want: %v", got, want)
 	}
@@ -223,11 +223,11 @@ func TestHllAggregateProto(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestNilChecks(t *testing.T) {
-	// protoToType
-	if val, ok := protoToType(nil).(unknown[btapb.Type]); !ok {
+	// ProtoToType
+	if val, ok := ProtoToType(nil).(unknown[btapb.Type]); !ok {
 		t.Errorf("got: %T, wanted unknown[btapb.Type]", val)
 	}
-	if val, ok := protoToType(&btapb.Type{}).(unknown[btapb.Type]); !ok {
+	if val, ok := ProtoToType(&btapb.Type{}).(unknown[btapb.Type]); !ok {
 		t.Errorf("got: %T, wanted unknown[btapb.Type]", val)
 	}